Dinner Party for the Dead
by girliegirl11
Summary: All Harry has ever wanted is to be reunited with his parents, godfather, and all his other friends who have died while still being able to exist with his companions who are still amongst the living. Will he finally get that chance?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I haven't written fanfiction in quite some time, but I had some free time on my hands and decided I would take another shot at it. This is a chapter that sets up the rest of the story to come. Enjoy!**

Dinner Party for the Dead

Harry's eyes flashed open. The first thing he registered was that he was staring up at a great dark blue sky glittering with nighttime stars. Slowly, he sat upright. He was not staring up at the gorgeous sky from a spot on the fresh, soft grass outside; rather, he was seated on a shiny polished floor, gazing up at the enchanted ceiling of the room he knew to be the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Though he knew instinctively that he must be sitting in the Great Hall, Harry was struck by the unfamiliar furniture adorning the room. He had never seen the Great Hall look quite like this before. The four immense house tables, banners, and points hourglasses were nowhere to be found. Instead, one lonely, traditional looking dining room table sat in the center of the room. The table was far smaller than even half of a house table, but also distinctively larger than any table you'd find in a typical dining room. It sat six on each side and just one at the end of the table closest to where the professors' table once stood. This set up of the Great Hall was not unlike how it was during the Christmas holidays, except that there was a stark lack of twelve enormous pine trees and numerous enchanted Christmas bulbs.

Absently, Harry thought about how long it had been since he had spent a Christmas at Hogwarts. As he counted on his fingers, he found that it had been much longer than he remembered. He had not spent a Christmas at Hogwarts since the Yule Ball his fourth year, and that had been nearly five years ago now. It was presently June, almost two years since the Battle at Hogwarts, the battle that ended it all. Harry's mind gave a start. He realized that today on the dot would actually mark the two year anniversary of the battle, of the victory, but most pressingly in Harry's mind, of all of the lives that were lost.

A sudden grief washed over Harry, making his bones feel like lead beneath his skin. This feeling was not strange to Harry; he felt it nearly daily. It was a mixture of grief, guilt, and nostalgia for the time when all those who had passed were still alive and well. Though part of him knew that it was not his fault, that they all died fighting voluntarily for a cause that they truly believed in, the other part of him couldn't shake the feeling that he was responsible for their deaths because he was the one who had drawn Voldemort and the Death Eaters to Hogwarts in the first place, he was the one who had asked people to fight. This grief that weighed on him now was not only that surrounding the deaths that occurred at the Battle at Hogwarts, but also those that had happened before for his sake. Those including, but not limited to, his parents, Sirius, Dobby and Mad Eye. Though the one part of him knew that he was not at fault, or at least not entirely at fault, for their deaths, he knew that the other part of him would never be able to relinquish the feeling of grave responsibility that plagued him. But that was okay. That feeling of immense grief meant that there had once been, and still was, great love for those people in his heart. It was that love that kept him going day in and day out.

Thinking of day in and day out, Harry wondered what time of day it was. The last thing he had consciously remembered was falling asleep in his bed at the flat he shared with Ron and Hermione. So, he thought, this must be a dream. But, stretching his fingers out in front of him and wiggling his toes, Harry recognized that this did not feel quite like a dream. He was more substantive, more aware than he ever was in his subconscious. Yet, it did not feel quite like reality either. Though on the outside he felt more substantial, on the inside he felt somehow airier and lighter than he was in real life. Wherever he was right now hung somewhere between the realms of reality and illusion, and it was a particularly strange place to be, especially considering the fact that he was all alone.

And of course, just as Harry was having this thought, a tall figure with billowing robes entered the room. Harry knew who it was before the figure turned toward him but did not dare say his name aloud before seeing his face full on. It was impossible that Harry could be seeing him here; he hadn't seen this man in the flesh in nearly three years. It was impossible that Harry could be seeing him here and now in the place that they had both used to frequent on the daily. Yet, in this strange realm, who knew what was possible?

After several tension filled moments in which the shadowy figure glanced serenely around the hall, his head revolved to face Harry directly, and his features were illuminated by the dazzling stars of the night. Piercing blue eyes stared directly into Harry's emerald green ones, and a broad grin swept across the old man's face.

"Ah Harry, so glad you could make it!"

**Next Chapter to come soon! Very soon, I hope. Hope you like it so far! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter two! Soon as promised! There's a lot of info in this chapter, and I hope I presented it in the least confusing way possible. Let me know in comments if it was too confusing and I can rewrite it to make it less so. Enjoy!**

"Make it where? To what?" Harry asked confusedly. His mind was not racing, nor jumbled up in thoughts. Instead, it was empty, blank, and simply bewildered at what was taking place.

"Well, to my dinner party of course!" Dumbledore said enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Dinner party? What … where … who …" Harry stammered, glancing feverishly between Dumbledore and the empty table, trying to make sense of things. Dumbledore's smile slightly lessened. He was confused that Harry was confused.

"Surely you got my message, didn't you?" Dumbledore asked imploringly. Harry shook his head slowly with one eyebrow slightly raised. He held firm Dumbledore's gaze and waited patiently for more of an explanation.

Dumbledore's smile turned into a slight grimace. He was clearly not angry, just a tad befuddled that the situation was not exactly as he had thought.

"No matter," Dumbledore said brightly, the smile returning to his face, "I shall simply explain now. You see, I spoke with Professor McGonagall the other day through my portrait in the headmaster's office. She was supposed to pass along the invitation for the dinner party I am hosting," he gestured toward the vacant table, "but she must have gotten caught up in the end of the school year hubbub and forgotten to pass along the message."

"But sir, how could I -" Harry started

"Ah, but yes," Dumbledore interrupted, "I knew you would ask this question. It is but the most obvious thing to ask. How could I, a dead man, invite you, a living one, to a dinner party?"

Harry shrugged and nodded, confirming that this was indeed what he had been about to ask.

"You are right Harry, it is quite unusual that I would invite you to my dinner party for the dead, seeing as you are indeed quite living." Dumbledore emphasized that last part, having seen the panicked look in Harry's eyes.

"So I'm not …" Harry spluttered.

"Dead? Oh no, Harry, you're not dead at all. Unless …"

"Unless what?" Harry asked, paralyzed with fear. He did not want to be dead, he had so much to live for in the real world. He had friends, a job, Ginny … dead was not an option.

"Do not look so stricken, Harry. You are completely healthy and will return alive and well to the real world after this dinner party. Unless … unless you choose not to." Dumbledore said evenly.

Harry was now as confused as ever. But, suddenly, he remembered the only other time he had ever felt the way that he did now. It had been right after he had faced Voldemort in the woods and had been struck by the Avada Kedavra curse. In his mind, he had gone to King's Cross Station and there he had talked to Dumbledore about all the questions that plagued him. He had had this same sensation of being substantive but airy, real yet illusory. At the end of that meeting, Harry was given the choice between dying or living. He had chosen to return to life because he knew that there was much he still needed and wanted to do.

"So this is-" Harry began

"Quite like our meeting at King's Cross, yes you are absolutely right. You see, Harry, you share a very special connection with the dead. You have been struck with the killing curse twice, and survived twice, the only person ever to achieve such a feat. You also have been the only person to successfully use the resurrection stone. You were successful because you raised them so that you could have the strength to join them. You had accepted that you belonged to the dead, and that is what gave you the courage to die. For all intents and purposes, you should belong to the dead. But, the second time you were struck by the killing curse, you were given the option to join the dead or stay alive. You chose the latter, a wise choice if I do say so myself. But, just as King's Cross is always there for one to take a train to another destination, the option is always there for you to change your decision. Because you will always have a special connection with the dead, I believe that you will always have the option to take the train back to them. "

"But we're not at King's Cross" Harry stated obviously.

"Oh no of course not! We were at King's Cross last time because that is where you chose for us to be. This time we are at a place of my choosing. The Great Hall is one of my favorite places. It brings all of the students of Hogwarts, all ages, genders, and houses, together to share in food and fellowship. It unites us as one school, one community. I have chosen the Great Hall for my dinner party tonight, though, to unite, yes ages and genders and houses, but also different states of existence. Tonight I am testing one of my most elaborate plans yet: to unite the living and the dead."

"Sir, I'm sorry but I still don't understand." Harry exasperated

"To be entirely honest, Harry, I'm not sure I fully understand either. But I'll tell you what I know. Since the Battle at Hogwarts, I have spent the last two years mulling over the prophecy made by Professor Trelawney about you and Voldemort. I am well aware that Divination is an imprecise branch of magic, but there has been one line of the prophecy that has not sat well with me as the last two years have unfolded. You may recall the line "either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives". This line has disquieted me because it says "either _must _die at the hand of the other". The only way Voldemort could be vanquished was by your hand, and you accomplished that great task. However, I am afraid that means that you can never die. Voldemort no longer exists, therefore you will always. I'm not sure that you realized it at the time, that anyone realized it at the time, but that was the biggest sacrifice you made that night in defeating Voldemort. You sacrificed your ability to die and therefore be forever with some of the people you love most in this world."

Harry was dumbstruck. He didn't even notice the single tear that trickled down his cheek. He could never die. He would never be with his parents, Sirius, Remus, or any of them ever again. It felt like his heart was being torn in two. He was sick to his stomach, a deep aching pounding in his gut. He felt like he would never be happy again. He felt so horrible that he thought that this must be what dying felt like, except then he remembered that he would never experience that. How strange it was to be sad about never dying.

"But," Harry choked out, "you said that I would always have the choice to join the dead. You said that that option was always open to me."

"Ah yes, perceptive as always, Harry. That is where all of this gets very complicated. As I said, Divination is a very imprecise branch of magic, and I'm not sure I believe that the prophecy is completely accurate. Like I have told you before, Voldemort made the prophecy come true by his own actions, not the other way around. However, on the off chance that the prophecy is indeed reality, I decided to look into the matter of your immortality. It did not seem fair that you would never get to see your parents or Sirius or anyone else ever again. I was not about to let that be reality. So, like I said, I pondered the fact that you have a very special connection with the dead because you yourself should be dead. You were given the choice to live or die, and you chose to live. You were given this choice in the event of Voldemort killing you. I believe that that death counted as you being killed by the hand of the other. In that case, it seems like you gave up your only chance at death by choosing to live, but I think otherwise. As I have previously stated, I believe that that choice is always open, and I am sure that my belief is correct because you have joined me tonight. Just as I hoped was possible, you have subconsciously entered the same frame of mind as when we met at King's Cross exactly two years ago. It being the anniversary of your choice, you get to make the decision again."

"Why did this not happen on the one year anniversary?" Harry asked quickly. However, he immediately remembered that on the one year anniversary of the Battle at Hogwarts, there had been a huge celebration amongst the remaining members of the DA, lasting somewhere between 48 and 72 hours, therefore permitting no time for Harry to venture to his subconscious. Dumbledore smiled as he watched Harry answer his own question in his head.

"So, I can die." Harry said tentatively, scared to hear the clear cut answer.

"Yes," Dumbledore stated firmly, "I believe you can. You needn't be worried about never dying, because every year on this day you will come back to this strange realm and be given the choice to live or die. However, I do believe that once you choose to die you will never be given the decision again. That is just the nature of such things."

Harry was completely relieved at hearing this. Of course he would choose to live now, but it was extremely comforting to know that one day he would be able to choose to see his loved ones in death. But what again was this about a dinner party?

"Um, Sir, what did you say about a dinner party?" Harry asked slowly, still trying to process everything.

"Oh yes" Dumbledore cried, "I nearly forgot! Well, in the process of figuring out the guidelines of your immortality, I realized that I would be able to meet with you each time you came back to this realm. I am able to because as long as I live on in the hearts of those who are living, I can never truly die. I will always reside somewhere in this realm between the living and the dead. That is why I appear for you here in this realm; I am a part of your heart, and thoughts, and spirit. The same holds true for every person whom you love who is now dead. As long as they still live within your heart, they can join us tonight in this realm between the living and the dead because their spirit lives on in you. And, at the end of the night, you will be able to choose to either return to your life or join us among the dead."

Harry stared blankly at Dumbledore. "So the dinner party …" he said again, trying to get a straight answer this time.

"But that's just it Harry!" Dumbledore exclaimed, "Don't you see? You have the chance right here right now to be with your loved ones who have died, to talk with them, laugh with them, hug them, and then be able to return to your life afterwards. Don't you see what an incredible opportunity this is? I have set up the hall for a dinner party. I have invited you, but it is up to you to invite the rest of the guests."

"So let me get this straight," Harry stated, "I can only die by the hand of Voldemort. I was killed by him and I should be dead. I'm not because I was given the choice to live or die and I chose live. Every year, on the anniversary of my should've been death by Voldemort, I will be given this choice again. In being given this choice, I am in a realm between the living and the dead. In this realm, I can see and talk to anyone I want to who in reality is dead but still lives inside of me. At the end of tonight, I can choose to live or die again. To die would mean to really die, to never return to life and never be given this choice again. To live would mean to go back to life for the rest of the year and then be given this choice again on the same day the next year." Harry inhaled deeply as he finished his long recitation of what he understood

"Precisely." Dumbledore said with a twinkling grin.

Only now was Harry beginning to truly appreciate the wonderfulness of his situation. All he had ever wanted was to be able to see and be with his loved ones who had died while also being able to still live his own life out. He was finally being given this chance and it felt amazing. Truly amazing.

Dumbledore interrupted his revelry. "So Harry", he smiled, "who will be the lucky people to fill these seats?"

Harry sighed deeply. "Where to begin …"

**So that's chapter two! Chapter three is on its way and I promise that it will bring more characters, more laughs, and more excitement! Stick with me! Thanks for reading so far! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3, here it is! It's kind of half a chapter, and I apologize if it is so slow going. I just want to make sure that I lay out all the foundation for the rest of the story now so I don't have to backtrack later. Ask any questions you want answered about anything you find confusing in the comments. There are some questions, though, that I am leaving purposefully unanswered for now. Enjoy this next chapter!**

Harry's mind raced with the many possibilities that lay before him. He, unfortunately, had known and loved many who had died. But now, fortunately, he was getting the chance to see them, talk with them, and laugh with them again. His first two invitees were obvious.

"I want my first two guests to be my parents, Lily and James Potter" Harry said confidently. But, to his dismay, they did not appear automatically. He glanced around the hall anxiously, but they were nowhere to be found. Dumbledore, however, did not seem fazed by their absence. "You'll have to excuse their tardiness, Harry. Even the dead have their own matters to attend to."

A few more minutes passed, though they felt like hours to Harry. Suddenly, the creak of the Great Hall's polished oak door broke the entombing silence. Emerging from behind the door was a tall man with slightly rumpled clothes and horribly untidy jet black hair. Following closely behind him was a slightly shorter woman with curtains of dark red hair accentuating her enigmatic green eyes. A balloon swelled inside Harry's stomach. He was nervous, anxious, excited. This was the very first time he was going to be able to really meet his parents. He could hardly remember his time with them as an infant, and his other encounters with them could scarcely be called real meetings. He had seen and talked to projections of them that stepped out of Voldemort's wand, watched them in the pensieve, and called on them through the resurrection stone. Right here, right now, was the first time he would ever get the chance to interact with them as if they were just his regular parents and he their regular son.

The two newcomers let the door close behind them and they stood to face Harry and Dumbledore. They did not seem surprised to see either one of them there. From afar, Harry saw a little grin break out across his fathers face, and a broad smile stretch across his mother's. Harry and his parents both took hurried steps towards each other, but then both parties stopped three feet away from one another. Harry was scared to reach out and hug them. What if he couldn't touch them? What if they weren't real? What if they were merely ghosts, illusions, hallucinations?

Harry's mind was given no more time to ponder these frightening thoughts as his mother rushed forward and embraced him. Her skin was warm and soft, and as Harry returned her tight squeeze, he knew that she was real. As he emerged from his mothers arms, Harry stepped over to his father. James clapped Harry on the back and spoke the first words between the three, "Thanks for the invite, son. Sorry we're late. We got caught up talking to Bertha Jorkins a ways back, and I don't know if you ever met her, but she is out of her damn mind. Took us five minutes to shake her loose." James spoke to Harry as if they saw and talked to each other all the time, like this was a regular occurrence. Harry was pleased that they all already felt so comfortable together.

James looked around the room quizzically. "Where is everyone else?" he inquired.

Harry looked a bit sheepish. "I … er … haven't invited them yet ..." Harry let his sentence trail away, thinking about the best way to explain that he hadn't really known about this dinner party tonight, therefore he really could not be at fault for not sending out invitations …

But James seemed unfazed. He was clearly not a planner either. "Alright then," he stated cheerfully, "we'll just go find our seats while you sort everything out." He and Lily smiled broadly at their son and then strode casually over to the lone table in the center of the Hall.

Dumbledore turned to Harry and raised his silvery eyebrows at him as if to say "Who's next?"

Harry took no time in pondering his next invitation either. "I would like to invite my godfather, Sirius Black."

Just moments after Harry had uttered these words, the thunderous sound of a roaring engine could be heard from just outside. There was a spluttering as the engine was turned off, and a few seconds later a tall, handsome, mischievous looking man appeared in the doorway. He repositioned the motorcycle helmet he had tucked under his arm as he walked toward Harry and Dumbledore.

"I was wondering whether I was going to be invited to this little shindig." Sirius teased. "I was beginning to worry that I would miss out on all the fun!"

The godfather and godson briefly embraced, but as soon as James and Sirius noticed each other's presence in the hall, there was a magnetic force that drew the two best friends together. Sirius nearly hopped, skipped and jumped over to the practically empty table and took a seat next to James. The two were immediately engrossed in a conversation about Merlin knows what. Lily just rolled her eyes at the two, but she seemed lazily intrigued by their words as she listened intently with her chin propped up on one hand.

With a slight pang, Harry realized that this was exactly how all holidays, birthdays, and special occasions would have been had he grown up normally. This was a bitter taste of all he had been deprived. But Harry quickly shook himself out of this regretful state of mind, for he knew that this experience here and now was more than he could have ever hoped for, and that maybe, just maybe, it could begin to make up for all those lost moments.

Harry turned from the table back to the door, thinking about who he would invite next. Seeing his dad and Sirius reunited, his next guests seemed all too clear. "I would like to invite Lupin and Tonks" Harry stated. He realized that he did not have to say his invitations out loud, but he felt like he should let Dumbledore know who was about to arrive before they showed up. This was technically Dumbledore's dinner party, after all. Dumbledore nodded approvingly at this invitation, and they both anxiously awaited the opening of the large oak doors.

Moments later, the door burst open, revealing the two new arrivals. Tonks was donning her characteristic hot pink spiky hair along with violet eyes, a cute button nose, and thin mauve lips. Behind her was Remus Lupin, a thin man with pale skin and a slightly sallow face. But, Harry noticed, Lupin looked far better now than he ever had in life. For one, he was smiling; that made a big difference. Also, though his face still had a slight sickly color to it, his cheeks were also fuller, his face more vibrant and hopeful than it once had been.

Tonks and Lupin glided over to Harry and Dumbledore. "Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks exclaimed upon her arrival in front of them. Brief greetings, hugs, and handshakes were exchanged between the four.

"So how's Teddy?" Tonks asked enthusiastically, eagerly awaiting information on her son.

"Oh, he's great!" Harry immediately answered, entirely truthfully. "I went to visit him at your mom's house last week and he was just a little ball of energy. He can crawl and walk, and his hair keeps changing color like every five minutes. He's also started to talk a little bit. He knows my name!" Harry regretted saying that last part as soon as it was out of his mouth. Both Tonks' and Lupin's eyes had begun to water. "No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean -" Harry began, but Lupin interrupted him.

"Don't be sorry, Harry! The fact that Teddy knows your name means that you spend a lot of time with him. Don't worry, we're not upset that he knows your name and not ours. We are just overjoyed that someone as kind and caring as you is going to act as a mentor and a friend to our son. We really could not have picked a better godfather." Lupin's eyes had dried as he finished saying this to Harry, and his reassuring smile made Harry smile too.

"Well, he did learn from the best." Sirius remarked mock-haughtily as he strode over from the table. Lily, James, and Sirius had clearly been eavesdropping on their conversation and took now as a good opportunity to join in.. Remus' face lit up as he saw the three; he had been completely oblivious to their presence before. He and Tonks went over to the small group, meeting them halfway between the table and the place where Harry and Dumbledore stood. As Harry watched them, he expected introductions to be made between his parents and Tonks, seeing as they had not known each other when they were alive. But, he was thoroughly surprised to see none occur. They all seemed like they already knew each other, like they had already met. Harry was confused.

But, he had no time to dwell on this confusion as Dumbledore surreptitiously cleared his throat. Harry jolted his attention back to the doorway and began to think about who his next guest would be. Seeing as he had invited three out of the four of his father's old friend group at Hogwarts, it would seem fitting to invite the final quarter. But there was no way in bloody hell that Harry would ever do that. There were some people you could forgive, and some people you just couldn't.

Harry thought back to the night of the Battle at Hogwarts and of the other friends he lost that night. A dull thud hit Harry from the inside as he vividly remembered the unmoving, pallid face of Fred Weasley, frozen forever in his last laugh. Though the thud in Harry's stomach caused him sorrow, that sorrow was immediately replaced with elation as he realized that he would be able to see that smiling face again.

"I invite Fred Weasley to this Dinner Party" Harry said, facing the door. But, much to his surprise, Fred did not make his entrance through the door. Instead, a loud crack resounded throughout the hall as Fred apparated just inches from Harry's nose. Harry stumbled backwards in surprise and it took him a few seconds to regain his balance. When he got refocused, he looked up to see the stocky figure of Fred Weasley, his vibrant orange hair and all.

"You can apparate?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Of course I can!" Fred exclaimed, "I passed my apparition test ages ago! You know that, Harry."

"Well, yeah," Harry replied, "but, I didn't know you could still, you know, apparate when …"

"When you're dead? Of course you can Harry! How do you think we get around? We can't all have super cool magical motorcycles like Sirius." Fred said this like it was the most obvious thing in the world. At the mention of his name, Sirius turned toward Harry, Fred and Dumbledore. He waved Fred over to join them at the table. Fred waved back and held up one finger to signal that he'd be over in a moment.

"Anyway, thanks for the invite Harry! I'm so glad to see you. You'll have to explain how this is possible, though. The living interacting with the dead, it's weird right? I know that you definitely haven't died because I'm sure we all would have heard the news if you had. It will be a big day here when the 'Boy Who Lived' becomes the 'Boy Who Died'. I'll talk to you in a few, Harry." Fred jogged over to the now nearly half full table.

Harry's conversation with Fred had left him baffled. What did he mean "how do you think we get around?"? How do they get around to where? Where do they go? What do they do? And what was that about how they would have heard if he had died? How would they have known? How could they possibly find out? They were …. well … dead, weren't they?

Harry's puzzlement must have shown on his face because Dumbledore, having been silent for quite some time now, began to address Harry's concern.

"I believe that information tonight will be passed down a two way street. Your guests will have many questions about your life, and I am sure that you have many questions about their deaths. Or rather, their lives after death. Many surprises are in store for you tonight, Harry. You will discover much about death that you never knew. But, please, Harry, no matter what you learn tonight, I urge you to still return to life after this dinner party. You will be tempted to stay, and if you feel that is what you really want, I cannot stop you. It is ultimately your decision and yours alone. But please remember all the things that await you back in life. Yes, this experience here and now is wonderful, fortunate, and exciting, but it is incomparable to the experiences that still await your living self." Dumbledore's eyes bored into Harry's as he pleaded for him to understand what he was saying. Harry nodded tentatively, scared yet strangely excited of the knowledge he would acquire tonight.

Dumbledore's solemn stare magically transformed back into a twinkling grin and his demeanor softened once again. "But enough of this heavy stuff." he chuckled. "Who's next?"

**There you have it! Chapter 3! I hope to put the next chapter up very soon! Again, don't hesitate to ask any questions about things you are confused about. Thanks for reading so far!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's Chapter 4! Thank you all for the really nice comments! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

Harry looked from the table to the door and then back to the table again. There were still seven seats open at the table. Two would be filled by Dumbledore and him, so that left five more guests to invite. Harry thought deeply about times that he had felt truly grievous at the loss of another.

His mind zoomed back to the evening at Shell Cottage where he spent hours upon hours hand digging the grave for one of his most loyal friends. He could see in his mind's eye Dobby's large yellow eyes, and he could distinctly remember Luna's fingers gently shutting the eyelids over those lifeless orbs as they laid him in his final resting place. Harry yearned to see those eyes full of life again, and so he spoke aloud his invite to Dobby.

A half of a second and a loud crack later, Dobby the house elf stood before Harry. He was wearing his usual eclectic assortment of clothing, this time including three woolen hats, a thick green sweater, one striped sock with dragons on it and another green sparkly one adorned with flobberworms.

"Harry Potter!" the elf shrieked with glee as he scampered forward to embrace Harry's leg. Harry knelt down and returned the gesture, trying to infuse his hug with all the gratitude he had not gotten the chance to adequately impart before the elf's untimely death.

Harry gently pulled away. "Dobby, I never got the chance to thank you for helping us escape Malfoy Manor." Harry said. "I don't think you realize how much you did. I mean, without you, we would have surely been killed by Voldemort in the next few minutes. Without you, we would have never succeeded in our quest. Without you, Voldemort may have never been defeated." Harry said all this in earnest, trying to make Dobby know just great his actions were.

"Harry Potter exaggerates." Dobby squeaked, his grayish wrinkled skin tinged slightly pink at the cheeks. "Harry Potter gives Dobby too much credit. Dobby would have never been able to help Harry Potter and his friends if Harry Potter had not freed Dobby many years ago. Harry Potter is the true hero."

Harry smiled weakly and shook his head. He knew that he would never truly be able to get the humble elf to realize the great bravery of his actions. "Thank you Dobby," he replied, "but you are just as much of a hero as I am. And don't try to argue with me-" Harry added as he saw Dobby's mouth open in protest, "you have shown just as much, if not more, bravery, courage, and resilience as I have. But, putting the argument of heroism aside, I would also just like to thank you for being my friend." Harry looked at the elf with a determined smile on his face, trying to convey that he was completely serious about this statement.

Dobby, meanwhile, looked like he might explode from the happiness that just erupted inside of him. 'Dobby? Harry Potter's _friend?_ Oh yes, Oh goodness! No, thank you, Harry Potter, for being Dobby's friend. Dobby is ever grateful to have Harry Potter as a … a friend."

Harry smiled again at Dobby and gestured towards the table to indicate that he should go and sit down. Dobby skipped off and went to join the others. There were still four more places to fill.

In determining who he should next invite, Harry thought about the first death he witnessed that he could actually remember. That horrid night in the graveyard still frequently haunted Harry's dreams even years after the incident itself. Though he and Cedric had never been on the best terms in life, they definitely shared a special bond because of that stupid _stupid _Triwizard Tournament.

"I invite Cedric Diggory to this dinner party tonight."

A few minutes later, Cedric passed through the doors of the Great Hall. Five years of death had not changed him one bit. He was still the handsome teenage boy he had been while at Hogwarts. He saw Harry and half waved at him as he made his way over.

When Cedric was standing at arms length away from Harry and Dumbledore, a moment of awkward silence passed between the three. Harry and Cedric had been kind of friends, but also rivals. They had helped each other out, but Harry still kind of thought that it was his fault Cedric had died at all. Right now, Harry was experiencing extreme survivor's guilt Thankfully, Dumbledore sensed the tension and broke it before it could last much longer.

"Cedric, it has been too long!" he exclaimed, reaching his hand out for Cedric to shake. Cedric smiled appreciatively at the old man and shook his hand firmly.

"Yes, sir, it really has." Cedric replied. "What, has it been nearly six months now?"

"I believe so."

"Well it is good to see you again, sir. And you too, Harry." Cedric added. "How have you been?"

"Erm … good … and you?" Harry returned the question uncomfortably. His mind was still confused by the "six month" comment. Six months? Last time Harry checked, these two hadn't seen each other since before Cedric entered the maze five years ago. Harry was brought back to the question of what people do and where they go when they are dead. However, he had no time to dwell on this inquiry.

"I'm good, thanks for asking." Cedric answered. He seemed to feel just as uncomfortable as Harry did. "So should I ..." Cedric trailed off as he gestured toward the table.

"Oh yea, yea of course!" Harry hastily replied. Cedric walked off and Harry was left to contemplate who his next guest would be.

Thinking about the Triwizard Tournament had made Harry think about Mad Eye Moody. Well, actually, it had made Harry think about Barty Crouch Jr., who had posed as Moody for just about a year. But, thinking about that imposter led Harry to think about the actual Mad Eye Moody and his great sacrifice for Harry during their departure from Number Four Privet Drive. Harry knew who would be next to join the party.

"I want to invite Mad Eye … um I mean … Alastor Moody." Harry said aloud. Moments later, a series of clunking noises could be heard from the entrance hall as Moody's wooden leg carried him forward. As he entered the Great Hall, his electric blue eye whirred around as usual, taking in his surroundings.

Moody clunked on over to Harry and Dumbledore and gave them each a gruff handshake.

"Thanks for the invite, boy." Moody rasped.

"Thank you," Harry replied "for risking, well actually giving, your life for mine."

"Oh no, boy," Moody boomed, "don't you go blaming yourself for my death. I blame myself. I was stupid to trust that useless coward Mundungus Fletcher. I should have known he would bail before the job was through. Stupid git. Ah well, Constant Vigilance!" Moody's eye rotated inward into his skull to look at the table of guests that sat behind him. "Lily and James are here! I should go say hello. Talk to you soon, Potter." Moody's hand gripped Harry's shoulder briefly, and then he slowly but surely hobbled over to the table.

Harry turned to look at his wide array of guests. He indeed had called together a strange bunch. There were the young and the old, some Gryffindors and a Hufflepuff, witches and wizards and house elves, a metamorphagus and a werewolf. Though the group certainly was odd, they all seemed to be getting along splendidly. There was laughter and animate conversation ringing throughout the hall. Harry smiled to think that he would be joining in on the fun of the party in just a few minutes. He just had to invite two more people.

The idea of who he should invite next whipped out from some strange corner in his mind faster then he could process why he had thought of it in the first place. To invite this guest would surely disrupt the amiable atmosphere in the room, but Harry knew that he must call upon this person. It was the right thing to do. Harry said the invitation silently in his mind, for fear that he would receive much flack for it if he said it out loud. Sure, everyone would know who he'd invited soon enough, but there was a chance that this person wouldn't want to show up, right?

Wrong. Not a moment after Harry had had this thought did the Great Hall doors open slightly to reveal the invitee. The bat-like man's stealthy entrance went unnoticed by those at the table. Dumbledore, however, was very aware of the newcomer's entry and raised his silvery eyebrows in curiosity at Harry. He also wore a smile of approval.

"Well, Harry, you have surpassed all my wildest expectations of who you would invite tonight." Dumbledore said in awe.

"Yeah, well …" Harry didn't know quite what to say. He no longer hated Snape because of what he had witnessed in the pensieve; he no longer even dislike him. He finally understood him and actually felt a lot of sympathy for the man. But that was probably what was weirdest of all. It was strange to go from hating someone so much you wished they were dead to then wanting to talk to them and apologize to them so badly you wished they were still alive. But, Snape did not make his way over to Harry and Dumbledore to chat. Instead, he gave a curt nod from afar and acknowledged "Potter."

Harry nodded succinctly back and stated "Snape."

"_Professor _Snape, Harry." Dumbledore politely interjected

"But, Sir ..."

"Alas, but you are quite right, Harry. He is no longer your professor. My mistake. Force of habit!" the old man chuckled.

As Harry and Dumbledore were having this exchange, Snape had glided over to the table full of guests. His presence was no longer unnoticed. Everyone had looked up from their engaged conversations to acknowledge the new guest, and the room had fallen silent. James and Sirius both looked like they had been hit in the head by bludgers, and they each turned to Harry to give him "what the hell?" glares. Remus, on the other hand, gave Harry a slightly confused glance, but seemed to accept that Harry's decision to invite Snape must have had some basis. Lily, differing from all the rest of them, gave Harry a watery eyed look that exuded admiration, approval, and love. She rose from her chair and went to give Severus a hug.

As she did this, James acquired a most sour look on his face. To break the palpable tension engulfing the room, Sirius said aloud, "Snivelly! So glad you could come!" Quiet laughter escaped a few lips, but the tense mood remained. Harry wished he could go over and say something to break up the awkwardness, but he still had one guest to invite, and he wanted to get that done and over with before he went to take his seat. He racked his brain, trying to think of one last guest that he really wanted to see again.

At last, he thought of someone that he not only wanted to see again, but also who would help break the horrible uncomfortableness that had befallen the party.

"I want to invite Colin Creevey." Harry whispered almost inaudibly. Instantaneously, Colin burst into the room, almost as if he had been lurking outside. Sure, Colin had been a bit irksome in life, but he was a genuinely good kid who was indeed Harry's biggest fan.

"Harry, Harry!" Colin cried, dashing over to greet him. Colin shook Harry's hand vigorously and began talking a mile a minute. "Thanks for inviting me, Harry! I've been wondering when I'd get to see you again! Who else is here? Is that your mum and dad! Oh look, it's Fred! Hi Fred! Cedric, too? Hello, Cedric! I wish I had brought my camera! I'm going to go sit down, is it alright if I sit down? Are you going to come sit down too, Harry?"

Harry grinned at Colin's enthusiasm. "Yes, I'll come over with you, Colin."

Colin nearly sprinted over to the table and took a seat right next to Fred. Harry let Colin go ahead of him, and in the few seconds between Colin's and Harry's arrival, the tension of the group had been broken. Colin was talking animatedly with everyone and was firing off questions like a shotgun, making the whole lot of them completely forget why they were so uncomfortable just moments before.

When Harry and Dumbledore arrived at the table, the only two seats left were that of the head seat and the one directly to the left of it. Dumbledore motioned for Harry to take the head, but Harry shook his head no. He did want to feel even more apart from everyone than he already did. He would rather take the seat next to his mother on the side of the table and feel more included in the group. Dumbledore nodded as if to say "Very well" and he took the head of the table.

They were all now seated around the table. Going from right to left around the horseshoe arrangement of seats there was Colin, Fred , Tonks, Remus, Snape, Dobby, Dumbledore, Harry, Lily, James, Sirius, Cedric and Mad Eye.

"Thank you all for coming tonight." Dumbledore addressed them. "I'm not sure how long we have together, I suppose that will be up for Harry to decide. But, let us now begin our feast and begin to talk with one another about the time we have spent apart. Ask questions, recount stories, tell jokes. We should make the most of the time we have here and now reunited with one another. So, without further ado, dig in!"

**So that's Chapter 4! Hope you have enjoyed so far. Chapter 5 will be up soon. Be patient and stick with me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi readers! Here's Chapter 5! I had a lot of fun writing it. ENJOY!**

On the table in front of them appeared an assortment of all sorts of delectable foods. There was steak and kidney pie, mashed potatoes, turkey, sausages, bread and more. As people were piling their plates with a variety of different dishes, Lily began the conversation.

"So, Harry, where are you living now?" She asked casually. Harry was a bit uncomfortable with all eyes on him, but he shook it off and told himself that he was just having a normal conversation with his mother. He finished the bit of food he was chewing and then turned to look at his mother's kind face.

"Well," Harry began, "Right now I'm living with Ron and Hermione in a flat in London. It's really close to the Ministry, which we are all working at right now. We've lived there for about a year now."

"And what are you all doing at the Ministry?" Lily inquired, genuinely interested in what her son was doing.

"Ron and I are working in the Aurors Office and Hermione is working in the Department for Protection of Magical Creatures."

"Good choice of profession, Potter." Moody barked.

"You guys must be working your way up through the department pretty fast, considering your skills and experience." Tonks inserted.

"Well … er … no …" Harry stammered, trying to get more words out.

"You're not?" cried James incredulously."You defeated the most dangerous and powerful dark wizard of all time! How could they not move you up in the ranks? I ought to have a word with your head of department!"

Harry was pleased at his fathers' indignation on his own behalf, but he couldn't let the rant go on any longer because he thought he should clarify something first. "Well, you see," said Harry, "you'd have to have a word with me because I kind of am the head of department. That's why I haven't moved up in the ranks very fast, because there is no rank for me to move up to."

James furious scowl melted into a smile of elation. "Well done, Harry!" he exclaimed, reaching across Lily to clap his son on the back. Everyone else looked generally surprised but also awed by this news.

"Not to belittle your accomplishments at all or anything, Harry" Cedric interjected amidst the praise, "but why did they decide to give someone so young the role? I mean I know what you've done has been far greater than most older wizards, but aren't there age restrictions or at least guidelines on those positions?"

"Well, they were really hesitant to give me at first," Harry conceded, "for exactly the reasons you just said. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the current Minister of Magic, really wanted to give me the role in the September following the Battle at Hogwarts, but so many ministry officials were opposed to it because of my age and because they thought I was still … you know … a bit emotionally unstable …" A few titters of laughter sprang from the table, issuing from the mouths of Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Snape, and Fred. Harry did not know whether to be amused or offended by their laughter. Deciding to be neither, he continued explaining what he'd been up to profession-wise these past two years,

"So yeah," Harry said, perhaps a bit too loudly, wanting to break up the laughter, "they didn't give me the job then, which was good, because I ended up doing a lot of different things in the Ministry instead. I helped Kingsley a lot in setting up new policies, appointing new people, and reestablishing expectations for ministry employees. We wanted to avoid anymore Umbridge situations." A brief shudder flew through everyone at the table who had ever had the displeasure of knowing the foul and rotten Dolores Umbridge. Harry quickly continued, wanting to shrug off the thoughts of that wretched woman.

"So I helped a lot with the ministry that first year after the war, and I also was back and forth to Hogwarts a lot helping with rebuilding, and well … also teaching a little." Everyone's faces lit up with interest at those last few words.

"What subject were you teaching, Harry?" Remus questioned, with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts" Harry stated, leaving everyone thoroughly unsurprised. "But, I wasn't the full time professor." Harry continued. "I only came in sometimes during the year to give some special demonstrations and lectures on things like patronuses and the importance of disarming and things like that. It wasn't really that big of a deal." Harry was beginning to feel very self conscious due to all of the attention he was being given.

"I do believe, Potter," Snape sneered, drawing all eyes toward him, "that I am the one who originally taught you how to disarm an opponent, was I not?"

"Yes, and I suppose it was also you who instilled Harry's admirable morals of not wanting to kill anyone. Thereforeit was you who made him opt to use the disarming spell against the Voldemort that led the dark wizard to his death. Really, we owe everything to you, Snivellus." Sirius harshly countered, causing tension to erupt around the table.

Snape's mouth contorted as if he wanted to say something, but then it relaxed again as if he had just thought better of it. Harry was very much regretting his decision to invite Snape because of all the hateful feelings he was causing at this dinner party.

Rapidly changing the subject, Lily jumped in the conversation again questioning Harry, "So you didn't return to Hogwarts as a student to complete your seventh year?" She stared at him slightly disapprovingly, as any mother would.

"Well, no ..." Harry said, smiling a bit abashedly.

"Oh come on, Lil." James grinned. "What more were they going to teach him after all he went through? He was doing more good for the Wizarding World by helping rebuild the ministry." Lily nodded in acknowledgement that her husband was right. James now turned to Harry and asked "So when were you made head of the auror department?"

"Just about a year ago." Harry answered. "In rewriting a lot of the guidelines and expectations for Ministry officials, Kingsley decided that the age restriction on certain positions could be lifted in certain circumstances, and he decided that my situation was one of them. It's been a pretty low key year. Nothing major, in my opinion."

"Ah, but Harry, your opinion unfortunately means very little in cases like these, considering you faced Voldemort nearly every year since the age of eleven." Dumbledore said sagely, the first thing he had uttered since the meal had begun. Everyone chuckled at this, but definitely nodded in agreement. A few moments of silence passed as people returned to their food.

"So, Harry," said Fred about a minute later, "we've talked about your professional life a lot, but how about your personal life?" Harry could tell exactly what information Fred was prying for.

"Well, let's see." Replied Harry. "Like I said, I'm living in a flat in London with Ron and Hermione. We are all still really good friends. When I'm not there or at work, I spend most of my time at the Burrow."

"And why would that be?" Fred asked Harry mock innocently.

Harry blushed a bit before he divulged the next parcel of information. "Well, that _is _where Ginny lives …"

Fred grinned broadly because he had successfully extracted his desired piece of information from Harry. The rest of the table's reactions varied. Cedric and Dobby were mildly interested, but did not say or do anything directly to Harry. Dumbledore merely smiled in a pleased sort of way. Mad-Eye looked simply confused. Snape literally could not have cared less. Colin was jumping up and down in his seat, burning to ask Harry a myriad of questions. Remus and Tonks exchanged a knowing look at each other and then grinned excitedly at Harry. Sirius nodded approvingly while both James and Lily turned to Harry, eager for information on his love interest.

"Who's Ginny?" Lily exclaimed.

"Ginny is my girlfriend" Harry said mildly uncomfortably. It felt weird talking to his mother about this.

"Well duh" Lily replied, "I gathered that much. But who is she? Where did you meet her?"

"Ginny is _my _sister." Fred interjected.

"Hold on," James said, "Ron and Fred are brothers, right? You're dating your best friend's sister? Harry, come on, I thought you'd have a little more sense."

"Well you see, James," Fred cut in, "normally I would agree with you, considering she's my sister too. But, I don't think anyone in my family is really complaining about Ginny dating the Boy Who Lived Twice. Besides, I don't think it will end badly … or even at all … " Fred turned back to Harry, "So, Ginny's still living at home?"

"For now." Harry stated. He was still feeling uncomfortable discussing his love life around the table. He was embarrassed talking about it. But, Harry continued anyway because he knew that when you only had one night with your loved ones, the fun and the awkward conversations had to happen all at once. "She's not really home all that much considering she travels with the Holyhead Harpies as an extra chaser right now. We are looking to get a flat together at the end of this summer."

"So things are getting serious." James said in a fatherly tone.

"Yea, kind of." Harry replied.

"Oh I want to see pictures!" Lily cried. "Bring some with you next time!"

Most around the table looked confused. "Next time?" a few questioned. A brief explanation by Harry and Dumbledore of how and why they were all there tonight was issued around the table.

"How did you know there would be a next time?" Harry asked his mother.

"Oh, well Dumbledore told us about what he was doing with this dinner party a few days ago. He guessed that you would invite us, and he wanted to make sure our calendars were clear." Lily answered.

"Speaking of which … " Harry said, sparked by Lily's comment on their 'calendars being clear', "You guys have gotten to ask me a lot of questions tonight, so now I think it's time for me to ask you a few …"

**AHHH the suspense! Stick with me! I'll try to have the next chapter up in a week or two. Thanks for reading so far!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Don't worry, I didn't forget about this story. It just took me a little longer to write this chapter. I hope you all have liked the story so far and I hope that this chapter lives up to the previous ones. If there is anything confusing in here let me know and I'll try to clarify in the next chapter. Enjoy!**

"Fire away" James responded. Harry thought for a moment. How to begin? There was so much he craved to find about the lives of the dead, but he just wasn't entirely sure how to phrase his questions. He worried that he might come off as sounding insensitive to the fact that they were … well … dead. Harry thought that perhaps he'd begin with the same question that his mother asked him.

"Where are you living now?" Harry inquired, the question directed towards his parents.

His mother smiled animatedly as she answered. "We still live in Godric's Hollow, actually."

"Different house, though." James added. "For obvious reasons …"

Harry was completely confused."There's a Godric's Hollow here?" he asked

"Well, of course!" answered Remus from across the table. "The world here is almost an exact replica of the real world. The places that exist down there also exist here. The things that occur in these places are different, and therefore there are dissimilarities in things like decorations inside and the structural condition outside. But, the general places are the same. There's a Godric's Hollow, London, Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade … everywhere that you could go in the living world is also here."

Harry kind of understood, but everything wasn't quite matching up. "Okay. So, if the things that happen in the real world don't affect the structural being of things here, then why can't you live in your same house? Wouldn't the damage done by Voldemort not matter here?" Harry questioned his parents.

With a heavy sigh, Lily replied, "There are some marks that dark magic leaves in the real world that are so powerful and irreversible that they affect even other worlds. That being said, there is a stark lack of evil in this world alone. There are only reminders of evil of the real world in the forms of things like our destroyed house."

Harry was thoroughly intrigued. A world without evil? A world without problems? What could be better?

It was like Dumbledore could read Harry's mind. "But just because there is no true evil does not mean that there are no problems." Dumbledore stated. He gazed at Harry with a firm intensity to remind him of his warning earlier in the night. "There are still minor conflicts that arise between peoples," Dumbledore's eyes darted between Sirius and Snape, "and it is pretty much business as usual."

"But what happened to all the evil?" Harry asked earnestly.

"Oh, it still exists here …" Sirius muttered bitterly, glaring at Snape resentfully. The two men wore identical sneers and the tension between them was tangible.

"Ah but you are quite wrong there, Sirius." Dumbledore stated serenely. "All people filled with true evil cannot exist in this realm between the living and the dead. They are unable to because evil is reserved for the living world and the living world only. It is the plague of that world, but it is a relatively small price to pay for all the joys that also reside only there."

"What do you mean?" implored Harry as he turned inquisitively to face Dumbledore. He could think of no greater joy than living in a world free from evil.

"Well, for one" Tonks answered, "you can't have children in this world. Birth and new life is a joy that can only exist in the living the world."

"Oh." Harry said. Sure, not being able to have kids kind of stunk, but he still didn't think that that outweighed not having to deal with any evil ever. Another question occurred to him. "Where do the evil people go after death?" Harry asked. He briefly glanced at the great oak doors of the hall, half expecting Voldemort to stroll right in.

"That we don't know," Dumbledore replied, "and hopefully will never discover."

"Okay," Harry said slowly, still processing things, "so no one who exists in this realm is evil."

"Incorrect" Sirius replied hastily, eyes still glued bitterly on Snape.

"_Correct"_ Dumbledore stated firmly.

"So how exactly is one, granted he is not evil, able to exist in this realm between the living and the dead? Why do the dead not just exist in a realm of the dead? Is there a realm of the dead?"

"Excellent questions, Harry" Dumbledore beamed, clearly pleased with how Harry was coming to these questions and realizations on his own. "As I said before, one can exist in this realm if they still live on in the hearts and spirits of those in the living world. The way one can exist in the hearts and spirits of the living is very broad. It does not have to be in the form of a distinct memory of the dead, but simply an action or idea performed that is in some way influenced by the person. The living person who performs this action or idea does not even have to be consciously aware that their actions or ideas are influenced by the dead person. In fact, a living person who performs an action or idea influenced by someone who is dead may not even have ever known that person. For instance, Harry, you know the power of love because your parents died to save you. Therefore, any acts that you do or ideas you pass on about your knowledge of the power of love carry the memory of your parents with them. If any of these acts or ideas that you pass on end up affecting the actions or ideas of someone you passed them onto, the memory of your parents will continue to carry, and therefore they will continue to exist in this realm between the living and the dead. Alas, we do not know if there is a realm of just the dead. To be there, you would have to have not touched the lives of anyone, and that is a near impossibility."

"So, basically," Harry stated, "all you have to do during your life to ensure you end up living in this realm is affect other people's lives in a way that carries on even the most abstract form of your legacy."

"Precisely." Dumbledore replied, giving the slightest of nods.

"So, most everyone who has died exists in this realm?"

"Pretty much." Cedric piped up. "Anyone I had known in life who had died before me is here."

Harry nodded. He looked around at all of his guests. So they all just kind of existed here after death … that sounded pretty cool. But did they do anything up here? Harry asked all seated around the table, "So what do you guys all do on a day to day basis?"

"Well," replied James, "pretty much the same stuff you'd do in the living world. We have jobs, attend events, go shopping, cook meals. You know, the usual." There were nods of consensus around the table.

"Yeah," Fred added, "the only difference is that here you can't grow older. Unless you take an aging potion, which you can buy at my joke shop in Diagon Alley."

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes exists here too?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yes Harry, haven't you been listening?" Fred answered exasperatedly. "I worry sometimes, that all of those killing curses you've survived have really addled your brain. Anyway, there is a Diagon Alley here, so when I arrived, naturally I would have wanted to start the joke shop here! It's quite a success, you know. Turns out the dead have a real good sense of humor."

Harry smiled. He loved talking to Fred. He loved talking to all of these people. He glanced around at the near empty dinner plates. He feared their time together would soon be up. Before their eyes, the dinner plates vanished and desserts popped up in the middle of the table. Treacle tart, chocolate cake and a whole variety of assorted pastries were all prepared for their enjoyment. They still had a bit of time left together while they ate dessert, but it would not be long until they would have to part ways.. Harry glanced around the room anxiously. Though the night had passed a tad uncomfortably, in all, Harry had had a good time. He didn't want to have to say goodbye to his guests so soon, especially not to his parents. How could he say goodbye when he had just said hello less than an hour ago? How could he be mercilessly ripped away from them again after having only just been reunited? He couldn't fathom leaving, and the option of choosing to stay here among the dead flashed across his mind.

The choice was appealing; there was no denying it. To live with his parents and Sirius in a world without evil where you basically got to do the same things that you do in life, that was like a dream come true! That would really be living the life. Except, it wouldn't be truly living. He wouldn't age, he wouldn't ever have kids, and he wouldn't get to be with Ginny, Ron, Hermione or anyone else who still existed in the living world. But they would all be here in this realm soon enough, right? They would all be reunited again someday. It wouldn't be so bad if he chose to stay here … would it?

Harry was on the verge of making up his mind to stay here in the realm between the living and the dead. But, Dumbledore's warning then came to mind and he forced himself to reconsider his decision. How could he leave his coworkers, friends and girlfriend? How could he just part from them with no explanation as to how or why he left? They would have no clue that there was a separate realm where he was existing happily without them. All they would think was that he died, that he was dead and gone and that they would never ever see him again. That would crush them. Harry couldn't do that to the people he loved. He couldn't knowingly inflict that kind of pain on them. He just couldn't.

Harry realized why Dumbledore had given him that warning previously in the night. This realm was quite great and enticing. But, it was only to be lived in after he had completed his life in the living world. It was his obligation not only to the people still in the living world, but also to the people sitting here in this room to return to the living world after tonight. All these peoples lives had been tragically cut short in preservation of his own, and if he chose to stay among the dead tonight he would be making all of their deaths be in vain. He would return to the living tonight. It would be difficult, yes, but he would do it. There would come a day where he was completely and totally ready to join the dead, but that day was not today. This day far beyond reach would be the one where he had no one specific left for him waiting in the living world. Yet though that day was so far away, Harry still knew it was out there, and it gave him comfort in knowing that, one day, he would get to be united with these people forever.

Harry was jolted out of his thoughts by the abrupt vanishing of the dessert plates. While his mind had been racing, everyone had finished dessert and they now all looked like they were preparing to leave. No one yet had stood; they were still finishing up conversations. Remus, James and Sirius were laughing about some old story that they were rehashing. Lily and Tonks were talking animatedly about the new bookstore in Hogsmeade. Snape and Mad Eye were having a very intellectual discussion about proper techniques of defense magic. Dobby was talking to Dumbledore excitedly about how one could never have enough socks, while Cedric and Fred debated Quidditch tactics. Colin was simply sitting quietly, an abnormal occurrence for him, and he was looking around the table at each person one by one.

"Oh!" he gasped aloud. Everyone stopped their conversations to look at Colin. "There are 13 people here!" he exclaimed. Everyone had their eyebrows raised in confusion. Colin continued, "Well, you know what Professor Trelawney says, don't you?" Still he got blank stares. In response to this silence, he exclaimed "When 13 dine together the first to rise will be the first to die!" Everyone looked mildly intrigued and Harry in fact did remember Professor Trelawney mentioning that theory at Christmas dinner his third year.

"Well then, good thing we're all already dead." Fred stated matter-of-factly. Everyone laughed and then Fred continued, "Well, except for Harry of course. When do you have to return to the living, Harry?"

Harry didn't quite know how or when he would return to the living, but he did know that he would choose to return. Interestingly enough, even though Harry and Dumbledore had explained how they were all here tonight, that it was the anniversary of Harry's death by Voldemort, they had not explained that this meant Harry could choose tonight to stay among the dead if he so chose. He was about to mention that to Fred, that yes he would return to the living but that he didn't "have to" if he didn't want to, but then he thought better of it. If he kept the fact that he could stay here to himself, he thought it would be easier to return to the living world because that's what everyone else expected to happen. Yes, it would be easier to leave the matter of his choice unsaid. Harry instead replied "I don't know" and then turned to face Dumbledore.

"How do I return to the living world?" Harry asked the old man.

Dumbledore folded his hands on the table in front of him and the tiniest of grins swept across his weathered face. He indeed had realized that this meant Harry had chosen to return to the living world. "I believe that all you will have to do is shut your eyes as if you were going to sleep and then think about returning." he replied. "It should be that simple."

Harry nodded, and as conversations had drawn to a close, many were rising from their seats and preparing to leave the Hall and return to their homes. Harry stood as well and went to say goodbye to people one by one as they left. Snape was the first out the door and gave no gesture of farewell to Harry except for an almost imperceptible nod in his direction. Remus and Tonks left next, Tonks kissing Harry on the cheek as they parted.

"Tell Teddy hello from us, won't you?" she said as they exited the room. AS the door swept shut behind them, Harry thought about her words for a moment. How was he going to explain this to other people? Should he even tell them? What would people say? Would they believe him?

He had no more time to think as Colin rushed up to him to vigorously shake his hand and thank him for hosting the party. Colin then proceeded to fire a myriad of other questions at Harry that were almost incomprehensible because he was saying them so fast. Thankfully, Mad Eye saw Harry's shock and confusion at Colin's constant stream of questions and gently guided the jabbering boy out the door whilst giving Harry a salute of farewell.

Cedric then came up to Harry and offered a brief but polite thank you and goodbye. Next was Fred who gave Harry a big hug, but during that hug he whispered in Harry's ear "Please, please be good to Ginny. You both deserve each other. But, if you do anything to hurt her, I swear I'll come and haunt your every waking moment." Fred pulled back and said in a regular volume "Not that I think you will, or anything, but I feel like I have a brotherly obligation to say something like that to my little sister's boyfriend. Well, bye Harry!" Fred trotted off and then disappeared into thin air by means of apparition.

Something just occurred to Harry. How could Fred apparate in and out of Hogwarts? He had been told many times, 90% of the time by Hermione, that it was impossible for anyone to apparate in and out of the Hogwarts grounds. He voiced this question aloud to Dumbledore.

"Well, you see Harry," Dumbledore replied, "because there are no people born in this realm, there are no new wizards that need to be taught. Therefore, Hogwarts has fallen into a state of disuse and there did not seem a reason to keep the protective enchantments on it. So, the enchantments have been disabled."

"What about kids who die who are school age or younger?"

"Thankfully, there are not so many children here so that is not a prevalent issue. But, for those that are here, they are usually taught by a parent who in some sense 'adopts' them."

"Interesting" Harry said as he mulled over the thought that Hogwarts, the way he had always known it, did not exist in this realm. "Is Hogwarts used for anything here?"

"Some things, such as big events and galas, are hosted here in the Great Hall, and sometimes people come here just to walk the halls and remember their living days. There are several house elves who work and live here, maintaining the condition of the building. They do an excellent job."

Harry turned to Dobby. "Dobby, do you live and work here?"

Dobby shook his head. "Alas, no, Harry Potter. Dobby loved working at Hogwarts in the living world, but here Dobby thought he'd try something new. Dobby owns his own sock store in Hogsmeade. It is quite successful. Dobby has now a significant amount of Galleons in his vault at Gringotts."

"That's great, Dobby!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh no! Dobby just remembered!" Dobby shrieked. "Dobby must go and take inventory to prepare for tomorrow's sales. Dobby must leave, but he thanks Harry Potter greatly for having this party. Dobby would be honored to be able to see Harry Potter again someday. Farewell!" And with a loud crack, the elf was gone.

Sirius stepped towards Harry to give him a hug. "I'm really proud of all that you've done, you know." Sirius told Harry. "But don't forget to get into a little bit of mischief every once in a while. You're never to old for a little bit of trouble." He winked at Harry and then turned to James. "Tomorrow night? 8 o'clock? My place?"

"Sounds good" James replied with a grin. Sirius nodded and strode out the door. A few moments later, the engine of his motorcycle revved, and then the sound gradually faded as he drove away from the Hogwarts grounds.

The last four left in the room were James, Lily, Harry, and Dumbledore. Dumbledore backed away from the other three to give them a moment together.

Lily looked at Harry with a kind of love and pride that could only come from a mother. Harry had a feeling that when Dumbledore previously notified them of the party, he also told them about the choice that Harry would have to make tonight. He knew his parents would not ask him to stay. In fact, he knew that they would want him to go back to the living world, to continue to live his life out to its fullest. A silent acknowledgement passed between them that this was goodbye, for now at least. The dull pain that had been throbbing in his heart while saying goodbye to everyone else now intensified as he drew closer to hug his parents. _I will not cry, _he told himself as both his mother's and father's arms wrapped around him. But, as he pulled back, he saw that both of their smiling faces were glistening with tears. He knew that they, too, felt the pain of having to say goodbye after such a short reunion. They, too, did not want to be separated again from their one and only son.

But, this time, they all knew the separation was different. They knew the next time they would see each other. A year from this day, Harry would return, and they would all be able to laugh and talk with each other once again.

"Until next year." Lily said as she reached out and tenderly stroked Harry's cheek. "Remember that we love you. We always have and always will."

Harry couldn't respond. His eyes burned with the tears he was trying to hold back, but then he realized that it was futile to fight them any longer. He let the droplets flow down his face as he stared into the eyes of his mother and father. His mother grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He could tell it pained them to see his anguish at having to say goodbye, but he also could tell that they knew this parting must happen. They started to slowly walk away and as they did Lily's fingers slipped away from Harry's. Their eye contact held the whole length of Lily and James' journey to the door, and just as they were about to disappear behind it, Harry choked out "I love you."

James and Lily stopped, halfway concealed behind the great oak door. James looked to Lily with a small smile on his face and then turned to Harry. "We know" he said. "We always have and always will." And with that, they vanished completely behind the doors and left Harry alone with Dumbledore. After a few moments, Harry turned to the orchestrator of tonight's events.

"Is any of this real?" he implored in anguish. "Please tell me this is real! I can't wake up and figure out that this was all a dream. It would crush me! It would crush me to know that I thought I was talking and interacting and laughing with my actual dead family members and friends but really it was all just fake! I need to know if this is real or whether it is all just in my head!" Harry was shouting. He was angry; he was sad. But most of all, he was just confused. He didn't just want this to be real; he needed it to be.

Dumbledore looked at him calmly and stated in the most of even of tones, "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" Then, Dumbledore nodded in goodbye to Harry and left the room.

As the door slammed shut behind him, Harry was left all alone in the vast hall, just as when he had arrived. His anger and sadness had subsided somewhat, and he sat down on the floor where he stood. He laid down on his back and looked up at the nighttime sky. The numerous stars twinkled across the blanket of deep blue, and Harry found himself absently wondering whether it was this same glorious sky that those in the living world saw. He closed his eyes and thought of the living world. He thought of Ginny and Ron and Hermione, and he wondered how on earth he was going to explain any of this to the three of them. But, that was a problem for when he awoke, so for now, he just let himself drift off into a state of unconscious, mind fixed on returning to the world of the living.

**Chapter 6, there it is! Don't worry, this isn't the end! I still have many more ideas for chapters and I don't plan on ending any time soon. Next chapter will be up soon, I don't know when, but soon. Just be patient and hang in here with me! I really appreciate all the support and I'm so glad that you guys have taken the time to read my story thus far. Thanks! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the newest chapter! I hope you enjoy! Also, a recent reviewer has posed the question "****Why would Lily hug Snape? He's the reason she and her husband dies young and left their son an orphan." This reviewer has a completely valid point, but I have to stand by that I think Lily would hug Snape. Yes, he was the reason she and James died and Harry was left an orphan. Yes, she probably will never forgive him for that. But, I have to believe that some part of her would be grateful for what he did with the rest of his life trying to protect her son. Their bond of childhood friendship, though worn very thin and almost non existent over time, must hold some small threadlike connection. And also notice that I didn't have Lily and Snape be super buddy buddy. They hug and that's it. Anyway, I loved receiving this question and I also have loved receiving all other reviews. Feel free to send questions about things you disagree or agree with. Send in reviews about what you liked, what you didn't like, what made you laugh, what was confusing. I love it all! Also, don't feel obligated to review at all. Honestly, I am just very appreciative that people are reading my story. Well this is a long author's note, so without further ado, here's the next chapter!**

Harry awoke in his London flat wrapped in a tangle of sheets. Sun was streaming in through his eastward facing window, and he was temporarily blinded by the brilliance of it. He was dazed, confused, and just generally out of sorts. His mind was foggy, like he had just had the strangest of dreams, yet he couldn't recall what it had been. After his vision returned to him, he slowly sat up and unraveled himself from the covers.

The events of the past night suddenly came to him in a whirlwind of images, words and thoughts. He gripped the sides of his head to keep himself balanced while trying to process all of the fast moving information. His mother's smile, his father's hug, and Sirius' laugh all flashed across his mind. If he closed his eyes, he could see their faces and look them right in their eyes. If he reached out, he could almost touch them …

But, when Harry reached out his fingers to grasp his mother's hand, they closed only around thin air, and he was snapped out of his revelry. Once again, he was sitting alone in his room. The flat was eerily silent. He wondered where Ron and Hermione were. Turning towards the clock, he was startled to see it read 10:00 am. He was very _very _late for work. Harry jumped out of bed and scurried over to his bureau. He got changed as fast as he could into some presentable Muggle clothes and stuffed his work robes into an over the shoulder bag. Grabbing his glasses and wand, he darted out of his room and out the front door. He turned back only to mutter a quick _Colloportus _in order to lock the door, and away he went. As he rode the lift down to the bottom floor of their building, he glanced anxiously at his watch, hoping he could make it to work by 10:30am if he was lucky. He, Ron, and Hermione usually left for work together at 7:30am in order to make it to the Ministry by 8:00am. That would mean that the other two had left ages ago. Why hadn't they woken him up?

He pondered this question as he strolled down the street to the public restrooms that also functioned as the Ministry entrance. He waited his turn in the relatively short line to get flushed into his workplace. He glanced around at the other late morning stragglers. Most looked disheveled, like they too had woken up late; one man even had his trousers on backwards. In just a couple of minutes, it was Harry's turn to enter a stall. He stepped into the toilet bowl, his shoes and pant legs staying surprisingly dry. As he reached forward and pushed the flusher down, he felt the world around him swish away. He was being pulled and sucked deeper and deeper when, suddenly, he popped out into the Ministry lobby. He stood up quickly, brushed himself off, and walked efficiently towards his department. He arrived in the Aurors office and was pleased to see that everyone was hard at work; his absence had not caused people to slack off. In fact, people may not even have known he had been late at all. For all they knew, he could have just been in another office all this time, having a meeting or getting a cup of coffee. He strolled into his own personal office and shut the door behind him.

Zooming around the room were about a dozen paper airplanes all inscribed with messages addressed to him. One of them was from Kingsley, notifying him of a new auror that would join his team tomorrow. Another one was from Mr. Weasley, asking him if he wanted to have dinner at their house tonight. But, the other ten were all from Hermione, telling him to come find her as soon as he got into the office. Harry wrote a quick note of thanks to Kingsley for the notification and then scrawled a speedy 'yes' onto another sheet of paper in response to Mr. Weasley's invitation. With a flick of his wand, he bewitched them both to fly to their respective recipients. Harry followed the notes as they sped out the door, and he made his way to the Department for Protection of Magical Creatures to pay Hermione a visit.

While on the lift, Harry realized that he should have stopped into Ron's office to say hello and ask why they hadn't woken him up this morning. But, on second thought, he didn't recall seeing Ron in the office a few minutes ago, a strange occurrence considering the close quarters of the Aurors department. As he exited the lift, Harry tried to recall whether he had seen his red headed friend or not. He continued to ponder this as he strolled towards the door to Hermione's office, but his question was answered once he knocked and entered.

Both Ron and Hermione were in the office and they were in a very heated argument. The two turned towards the door as Harry walked in and their quarreling stopped immediately.

"Oh thank heavens you're alright!" Hermione sighed as she ran towards Harry to give him a hug. Harry was startled and confused by this gesture. He tentatively returned Hermione's hug but then tried to gently pry himself away.

"Um – er – thanks …" Harry replied. "I'm glad I'm alright, too. But, why would I not be alright?"

"Well, this morning you gave us quite a fright." Ron chimed in from behind Hermione's desk. He had a slightly concerned look on his face.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"What we _mean _is that you were completely comatose this morning." Hermione exclaimed. "We tried everything to get you up: cold water on your face, hot water on your face, rubbing a quill under your nose plus a whole plethora of spells; but, none of it worked. You showed no sign of waking up. It was like you were dead, except that you had a pulse."

Harry gulped. So last night's adventures had affected his real world body. His friends were now staring at him concernedly, expecting an explanation as to why he had been so unresponsive this morning. Did he dare try to describe the night's events?

Yes, Harry decided, he would dare to do so because they were his best friends, and if anyone should know about his experience last night, it should be them. Besides, he had told them crazier things before, and they had believed him at those times. Well, sometimes they had believed him.

Harry took a deep breath, sat down in an old wooden chair that was in a corner of Hermione's office, and relayed everything that happened the night before, from waking up in the middle of the great hall to lying back down on it. He recounted all the people he saw, all the interactions he had, and all the things he learned. He talked about everything … well, almost everything. He omitted one key detail: the fact that he could have stayed there if he had chosen to. Harry did not tell his friends that he was given the choice to either return to the living or stay among the dead because he didn't want to freak them out or make them worry. He did tell them that he would be able to go back every year on the same day, but he did not mention the choice he would be given every year on that day. The anxious look Hermione had on her face when telling of how Harry wouldn't wake up this morning was reason enough to subtly leave out the fact that he could be dead right now. Her look of anxiety also gave him reassurance that he had made the right choice in returning to the living world.

After Harry had finished his tale, he received blank stares from his two friends. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then back at Harry, then back to each other again. Their expressions were unclear; their faces seemed to exude pity, confusion, and intrigue all at the same time.

"That sounds lovely, Harry." Hermione started slowly, tentatively. "But did you ever stop to consider that this may have only been a dream?" She asked this question with a small look of fear on her face, as if frightened Harry might reach out and smack her for saying such a thing.

Truth be told, Harry was a bit taken aback. He had just told his friends the most wonderful experience of his entire life and the first thought they had was to question him? Why couldn't they just be happy for him? Why couldn't they just believe him?

However, now that Harry thought about it, it was quite a tall tale. Getting to go between the living and the dead, how very strange a thought! Had he considered that this was merely a dream? Harry thought about it for a moment. Of course he had considered that it could have been a dream. Hell, that was the very first thought he had when he had woken up in the Great Hall the previous night. But it really hadn't felt like a dream. Dreams were different. The dreams that he had had since having the horcrux removed all had been normal dreams. They had been airy, unclear and insubstantial. Last night had felt so tangible, so real. It had definitely been more than just a dream.

"Well, Harry? Have you?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Well, of course I have considered it ..." Harry replied.

"And doesn't it make a lot of sense that it was a dream?" Hermione said impatiently. "I mean, your subconscious knows what you desire, and when you dream your subconscious shows you what you desire. You want to see your parents and everyone again so that's what you saw."

"But then why was he unresponsive this morning?" Ron piped up. Harry was secretly happy that Ron seemed to be on his side here.

"Sometimes when you're in a dream that you really like or want to stay in it's harder to wake up from it, that's all." Hermione replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah?" Ron said skeptically. "If it is that simple of an explanation, then why were you all ready to call St. Mungo's about Harry's unresponsiveness right before he arrived?"

"You were going to call St. Mungo's?" Harry interjected, his eyebrows shooting up towards the ceiling.

"Yeah, that's what we were arguing about right when you came in. She wanted to call because she was really worried about you. I told her to leave you be and if you weren't up by the time we got back we could call. I said that you have a really stressful job and that maybe you just needed a little extra sleep."

Harry nodded then turned from Ron to Hermione. "So, Hermione, why were you so concerned this morning and now just so willing to believe that it was 'just a dream'?"

Hermione blushed weakly. "Well, I mean, it did seem like something was wrong this morning. You were just _so _unresponsive …"

"Yes, and don't you think that that could have been because I was in the realm between the living and the dead?" Harry argued.

"Well, I _suppose. _But it makes more sense now knowing what you were dreaming about as to why you were so unresponsive. If I had known that you had been dreaming about your parents I would have known that you just wanted to stay with them in your subconscious, in your dream. It just makes sense." Hermione replied.

"Well can't life just not make sense for once?" Harry nearly screamed. He was livid that Hermione refused to believe him, refused to even consider believing him. Harry could feel his face growing hotter, his muscles becoming more tense and his eyebrows beginning to furrow together in frustration. "Can't you just for one second consider a possibility outside the realm of what you think is possible, for one moment believe that there is something more out there than this life here and now? Can't you just trust me?" Harry was desperate for the affirmation of his friends because, on some level, he needed their agreement in order to truly believe his experience himself.

Hermione and Ron both looked very taken aback at Harry's outburst. They looked at each other, to Harry, then back at each other again.

"I want to believe you, Harry." Hermione stated calmly, almost nervously. "I really, really do. But think about it for a moment. Think about if someone told you this story without you yourself having experienced it. Would you believe them?"

Harry did think about that for a second. He thought about the incredulity of his story, the unbelievability of it all. He indeed would be very skeptical of a story in which someone went to the realm between the living and the dead in their sleep, had dinner with all of their loved and lost friends and family, and then somehow just returned to the living world. It would all make a lot more sense if he explained to his friends why he got to be there. He had explained the how, that it was because it was the anniversary of his death by Voldemort, but not the hadn't explained that he was there so he could choose whether he wanted to continue to live or to die. That would make the whole thing more believable because it would further explain why he was so unresponsive, because he could have well been on his way to death. Not only that, but it would also put a certain amount of significance on why Harry needed this to be real: without this, it was possible that he would never die, and therefore never be reunited with his friends and family. But could he explain to his friends why he thought this had been real? Why he needed it to be real? Would they believe him then? Or would they simply continue to be skeptical?

Harry looked between the two. He could not. He could not bring himself to tell them. He could not bear to see the look of incredulity rise on their faces at yet another lavish addition to the tale, nor could he fathom the looks of horror he would receive if they indeed did believe him. To freak his friends out and tell them that he could die every year, that he could willingly choose to leave them, that he in fact almost did make that choice not eight hours previous? He could not.

"You're right." Harry finally conceded. "It does sound ridiculous."

"Oh no, not ridiculous, Harry." Hermione quickly consoled.

"No, no. It's fine." Harry replied. "I realize that my story's pretty hard to believe. I'm not saying that I definitely think it was a dream, but I am acknowledging the possibility that maybe it was." Harry watched as the other two nodded at him solemnly. He glanced at his watch. Yikes, it was nearly 12:30pm and he hadn't gotten any work done so far today. He bid his adieus to his friends and then headed out the door and down the hall.

When Harry returned to his own office, he knew that he had a lot of thinking to do. He plopped down in his chair and put his head in his hands. Yes, he had told his friends that he acknowledged the possibility that last night had all been a dream, but in his heart he knew that it hadn't been. He knew that his experience, however incredulous, was as real as real could be. But, he also knew that he could never tell his friends the whole story. No, he could never bear to tell them the truth, and they could never bear to know it. But, that was okay. One day, they would all be in that realm together, and they would know that it all surely was true.

A tentative knock came from the other side of Harry's office door. "Come in." Harry said. Ron entered the room. He sat down in the chair opposite Harry's desk and looked embarrassedly down at his folded hands.

"I want to believe you." Ron murmured almost inaudibly. "I want to believe you, but I just don't know if I can."

"Ron, it's okay -" Harry started.

"No, no. Just let me finish." Ron interjected. "I want to believe you because I know that being able to talk to your parents and everyone is one of your wildest dreams come true. I want to be very very happy for you. But, I don't know if I can believe you because, if I did, I think I would just be too jealous that you would get to see your dead loved ones and I wouldn't able to. I don't want to think about the possibility that there is some outlandish way to be able to interact with the dead and I'm unable to do it. I know, it's childish and stupid, but for my own good I think that I am going to have to choose to stick with Hermione on this one and choose not to believe you. I just wanted to come in here and let you know that that is the reason I'm choosing not to believe you, not because I think you're nuts."

"I appreciate that." Harry replied. "But, if the only reason you guys aren't going to believe me is because you are worried about being jealous … "

"Oh no, it's not the both of us." Ron interrupted. "Hermione legitimately thinks you're insane."

Harry nodded. He had been worried that that would be the case.

Ron looked like he wanted to say something more, but he couldn't quite find the words. After a few moments, he continued with his eyes still fixed on the ground. "I desperately want to believe you. I want it more than anything else. But to know that he's out there and that I can't see him or talk to him or anything until I die, but you can, that there is a way … that would just be agonizing. Torturous really. I'm sorry." Ron looked up from the ground and he met Harry's eyes. Harry nodded in understanding. The two both rose from their seats and embraced each other warmly. After a brief second, they quickly drew back and Ron gave a smile and a wave as he departed from the office.

Harry appreciated Ron's honesty, but he was still pretty disappointed that there was no one who believed him. Without reassurance from someone else that he wasn't absolutely crazy, without someone else to share in his excitement about his experience, Harry didn't know if he could even fully believe himself. He would just have to wait and talk to Ginny. Maybe she would understand.

**So that's the latest installment! As always, thanks for reading so far and I hope to have a new chapter for you all soon! **


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